Electric switch.



No. 837,241. PATENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

- W. J. MURRAY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ, 1905.

WILLIAM J. MURRAY, ()F LEAVENWOR'ITH, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO HERBERT \VIWVOLOO'IT'IT, OF LEAVE N WORTH, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH:

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 27,1906.

Application filed May 2, 1905. Serial No. 258.517.

To all whom, it natty concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MURRAY, citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of de vices wherein a movable element is yieldingly retained in a fixed osition against accidental movement and wiiich after being moved a certain distance automatically continues such movement and cannot be restrained therefrom by the erator who started such movement, and is esigned especially as the principal or essential part of what is known as a quick-break switchthat is, a switch which suddenly makes or breaks an electric circuit iJhIOU 'h its terminals to avoid danger of arcin within the switch.

The 0 ject of my invention is to produce a device of the character above outlined which operates efficiently and reliably and with a minimum of frictional resistance and in consequence with a maximum of durability.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with a S)iI1(il0 provided with one or more arms and a ioldcr containing one or more sprin -advaneed balls, of a plate 'journaled axial y of the spindle and provided with one or more sockets, each socket containing a ball to travel u )on the face of the holder and the ball or balls carried thereby, the device also necessarily embodying, when a part of an electric switch,circuit-terminals to be engaged at times by said plate, and thereby placed in electric connection.

The invention also embraces certain features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood'rcference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, represent what is mg figures an incandescent lamp-socket. Fig. 1 1s a section takenon the dotted line I i of Fig. 4 with the ca) omitted. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the otted line II II of Fig. 4 with the cap omitted. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the dotted line III III of Fig. 1 with the cap in place. Fi 4 is a section taken on the dotted line IV V of Fig; 1 with the cap in place. Fig. 5 is a section taken on known as a snap-switch and the remainthe dotted line v v of Fig. 3.

6 is a detail perspective view of the ball-advancing spring. FI 7 is a vertical section on the line v11 vii 0r- Fi s. Fi s is a vertical section-on the line III VII of Fig. 7. .Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line IX IX of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the rotary conductingplate.

' In the said drawin s, where like reference characters refer to the same parts, l'is a spindle, 2 the thumb-piece to rotate the provided with one or more arms 4.

5 is a conducting-plate journaled on the spindle, 6 oppositely-projecting arms thereof, and 7 double-beveled or knife-edge ends for the arms to facilitate engagement, when rotating in either direction, with contacts hereinafter referred to.

8 indicates one or more shoulders projecting forward from plate 5 and adapted for engagement by arm or arms 4, whereby the conducting-plate is turned to establish or break an electric circuit.

9 indicates one or more sockets in plate 5. There will preferably be four of these sockets, arranged as shown, (see Figs. 2 and 10,) and in each socket is a ball 10, capable of turning, said balls projecting beyond the rear face of the plate and engaging, by preference, the .face of astationary holder 11, through which the spindle preferably extends. Holder 11 is formed with one or more passages 12, containing a ball or balls 13, normally protruding from the front face of the holder and adapted to be pushed back by the balls 10 as they successively pass under rotation of plate 5, caused by the arm or arms 4 being pressed against shoulder or shoulders 8. There may of course be as many of these balls as desired, but there must be two balls 10 for each ball 13. I prefer two balls 13 and four balls 10, as the balance of the parts is thereby better retained and no lateral pressure is applied on the spindle and. connected parts.

14 is a spring-plate bifurcated to form a l pair of spring-arms to bridge the rear end of passages 12 and hold the balls 13 advanced l with a yieldingpressure, the arms 15 straddling the collar or enlargement 16 on the rear end of the spindle to prevent the latter from being pulled forward from position. v

17 indicates aporcelain or equivalent base spindle, and 3 a rigid collar on the spindle equipped with brackets 18, carrying binding- I posts 19, and double-arm spring-contacts 20 of a type in common use, these contacts being adapted to be simultaneously engaged by the opposite bev eled ends 7 of the rotary conducting-plate 5. The binding-posts are provided with clamp-screws 21 to secure the 1 wires (not shown) inthe posts.

22 is arecess inthe-inner or front face of the base to receive the holder 11, and 23 screws securing said parts together.

- 24 is a deeper portion of the recess to receive the collar 16 and spring-arms and permit the latter to move back when the ballslO ride over and repress the balls 13.

25 represents a further increase in the depth of recess 22 to receive the plate 26, to which spring 14 is preferably secured.

27 is an annular marginal recess in the base to receive the preferably metallic cap 28,

provided with an insulating-lining '29, said cap and lining also having a slot 30, through which successively appear thewords"ofi" and -on not shown) on the disk 31, carried by shoulders 8 'or otherwise attached to rotate 'withtherotatable conducting-plate 5.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, 32 is the porcelain base of an incandescent lamp, and 33 a large opening or recess thereinto contain the operative parts of a switch of substantially the construction and arrangement already described, the basehaving an offsetting recess 34 to receive the upper portion 35 of,the' holder, said portion being preferably of angular form, as appears in Fig. 7.

Said holder islikewise-form'ed with an angle'- arm 36, thesecuring-screws 23 engaging said ingjof the same one-eight angular portion. I

37 is the usual threaded metallic socket to receive the'threaded end of the incandescent globe, (notshown), and to the upper end of said socket is secured the double-arm' springcontact 20 of the same general type of construction and operation as contacts 20, Figs.

1 and 4. The limited space of'globe-base 32' su gested the advisability of bending the hoTder as already described in order to permit the rotary-contact-plate arms 6 to be bent to stair shape to dispose their beveled ends 7 in the plane of-contact 20, so as'to successively engage the latter when-rotated. 38 is the usual mica disk in the threaded socket, and 39 the other circuit-terminal, the

same being secured in the usual manner (not shown) to the base and projecting into the socket through the usual opening 40 thereof.

41 is a bracket secured to the base by screw 1 42 and providing a bearing for the outer end" of the spindle, though this bearing is not in dispensable.

The snap-switch or socket-switch is operjated by turning the thumbiece. The turneither cause the conducting-plate to jump into or out of contact with t e circuit-termiof a circle will nal 20 of Fig. 7 or terminals 20 of Figs. 1- and 4 or if the pressure on the thumb-piece'is prematurely relaxed will cause the part to eighth of any turning movement is stoutly .resisted by the spring-pressed balls 13;; but as soon as the balls 10 ride over the center of jumping action cannot be prevented by the operator, because he cannot reverse the turne ing of the thumb-piece with sufficient quickjump back to its original position. The first "balls 13 the rotary plate 5 jumps forward underthe pressureon'said balls 13, and this.

ness to arrest s'uch movement by disposing an arm 4 in the path of a shoulder 8. The independent movement of the rotary plate is checked by the forward movement of balls 13, which spring forward after each represvided with a socket, a ballfitting in and projecting from said socket, a holder to retain theiball in said socket, means yieldingly projecting beyond the'face ef eheholde-r in the with the spindle for rotatingsaid ball-carrying. plate until its ball passes the center-of the means ieldin 1y projected in its path.

3. T e com ination of an aperturedholder,

said holder and normally projecting beyond the face of the same, a spindle suitably jour naled, a plate journaled on the spindleand adapted as the plate turns to ride upon and desion between two of the balls'10, as will be of a suitably supported spindle, a plate j ournalerl thereon prn path of travel of said ball. and an arm rigid a yieldingly-advanced ball in the aperture of provided with a socket, a ball in said socket,

press the yieldingly-advancedball in the apertured' holder and means actuated by rotatable movement of the spindle to rotate said rotatable plate until its ball has ridden upon and ball. j

. 4., The combination of a suitably jour naled spindle, a plate journaled thereon and provided with a plurality ofsockets, balls resting in and dprojecting from said sockets, means actuate by rotatlve movement of the balls in the rotatable plate, a ball mounted in ing said ball beyond the face of the holder 1 and inthe' path of travel of the I first-named past the center of the yieldingly-advanced spindle for imparting likeirnovementnzolhenz ball-carrying plate, ;a holder to retain the the holder, and means for yieldinglv projectballs to yieldingly resist movement of the latter and to assume a position'between contiguous balls to rotate them and their plate more rapidly than the movementimparted to them by the spindle and to then check suchmovement by occupying such position between cont ous balls; 1

5. The con ginationj of a suitablyejournaled spindle, a plate journaled thereon and provided with at least four equidistant sock ets, a ball in and project' from each socket, a holder to retain said he in the sockets, a pair, of diametricall opposite rojections yieldingly projected eyond the ace of said older and in the path of travel of said balls, and meafis actuated b the rotatable movement of the spindle fl gr rotating the plate journaled thereoniuntil two of its balls ride u on and pass the centers of the yieldinglya vanced-projections.

6.4The combination of a suitably-journaled spindle, a plate journaled thereon and provided with at least four equidistant sockets, a ball in and project a holder to retain said bal s in'the sockets, a pair of diametrically op osite balls adapted to move back and forth t hrough the holder, a spring exerting constant forward pressure on said balls to project them be end the face of the holder, and in the path 0 the balls of the journaled plate, and means actuated by the rotative movement of the spindle for rotating the plate journaled thereon until two of its from each socket,

balls ride u on and pass the center of the -yieldi.n ly-a vanced balls.

Z. T e combination of an insulating-base, a spindle projecting therein and suitably journaled, a plate journaled on the s indle and provided with a socket, a ball fitting in and projectin from said socket, a holder to retain the bal in said socket and secured to the base, means yieldingly projecting beyond the face of said holder in the path of travel of saidball, a contact suitably supported, and means actuated by the rotation of the spindle to cause the ball-carrying plate journaled thereon to enga e the contact and become disen aged there om alternately.

8. he combination of a suitably-supported spindle, a late journaled thereon, a projection carried y said plate, a holder contiguous to said journaled plate, a pro'ection protrudin from the holder toward sai plate,

V W. W. HOOPER,

CARL H. HAsHAeEN; 

